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Where is "Northern" Maine?

Sheesh, I gotta admit that I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, so if my math is off somewhere, please let me know. But I really started wondering: Where does northern Maine start?

So. Lets assume the following facts:

Kittery (Maine's southernmost point?) is located at longitude N43.05
Fort Kent (Maine's northernmost point?) is located at longitude N47.15.
Since there are 60 minutes of longitude per degree, there are 250 minutes of longitude between Kittery and Fort Kent.

So the halfway point between Kittery and Fort Kent (the dividing line between northern and southern Maine) would be longitude N43.05 plus 125 minutes of longitude, or longitude N45.10. What is at N45.10? Lagrange, about 5 miles south of Milo (sorry Sudonim), or about 25 miles north of Bangor.

Sheesh, I gotta admit that I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, so if my math is off somewhere, please let me know. But I really started wondering: Where does northern Maine start?

So. Lets assume the following facts:

Kittery (Maine's southernmost point?) is located at longitude N43.05
Fort Kent (Maine's northernmost point?) is located at longitude N47.15.
Since there are 60 minutes of longitude per degree, there are 250 minutes of longitude between Kittery and Fort Kent.

So the halfway point between Kittery and Fort Kent (the dividing line between northern and southern Maine) would be longitude N43.05 plus 125 minutes of longitude, or longitude N45.10. What is at N45.10? Lagrange, about 5 miles south of Milo (sorry Sudonim), or about 25 miles north of Bangor.

So... Bangor is in southern Maine.

Center of Maine has nothing to do with any mathmatical equation. Look to the most immature person in your presence, for me it is my 6 year old, that is where the center of the universe is, therefore that is the center of Maine too. Don't believe me, just ask my 6 year old or who ever the most immature person in your presence happens to be.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.~~Albert Einstein

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Many wise words are spoken in jest, but they don't compare with the number of stupid words spoken in earnest.- Sam Levenson (1911 - 1980)

You guys keep playing this where is the center of Maine thing. I do believe most folks look to the population as the basis for answering that question and if that is the case your attempted use of logical mathematical data is misapplied.

How about we calculate the miles of road across the state and use that as the datum for the argument? Even with the miles and miles of roads in Northern Maine that still puts the center of that datum somewhere quite south of Bangor.

I'd really rather not cache, but I am helpless in the grip of my compulsion!

I do believe most folks look to the population as the basis for answering that question and if that is the case your attempted use of logical mathematical data is misapplied.

Sheesh! I'll admit that I was born in New Hampshire and raised in Massachusetts, so my interpretation of "north" and "south" might be a little different. But I've never heard "north" and "south" being defined by population densities. LOL!

Gob-ler is correct, many times population does play a part when deciding sections of an area, especially when financial issues are involved. And it does make some sense there.

But if we're talking caching here, using 50% of the whole population seems to make no sense at all. Most Mainers are not cachers. So should you use 50% of the cache hiding population, or 50% of all cachers, or active cachers?

I think geographical area makes the most sense, even better is cachable geographical area, i.e. Maine's geographical area minus areas which caches cannot be placed on. Good luck figuring that out.

One possible way to determine the line between north and south is to see how far you have to go south before the locals define Calais as "Up East Maine" as opposed to "Down East Maine."

So if we're not talking about caching, use whatever NSEW guidelines you like. I've always considered Bangor to be Central Maine, being close to the geographical center.

As for caching, I'd like to make a proposal. All cachers south of the North Pole will cache happily together as one group and shun those north of the North Pole. I also propose no cacher north of the North Pole be allowed to be a board member!

As someone who has only LIVED in Maine for 15 years I have always seen the differance in North Maine and South Maine ( northern Mass) as being a differance in the peoples attitudes. It happens somewhere around Augusta. Hallowell Southern Maine, Waterville Northern Maine. I was a Navy recruiter in Waterville and Augusta and was assigned both Franklin and Somerset counties. Franklin Southern, Somerset Northern. As a general rule of thumb, if someone say's to you "Lets go to the mall?" and you plan to go to Portland you are from Southern Maine, but if you plan to head to Bangor then you are from northern Maine. OH, and the county is an area all its own.
However I do realize it is Feb. in Maine and all of the computer lackey's out there are suffering from cabin fever so please keep up with all of the computations and let us all see your results.